Welfare Reform on the Web (August 2002): Education - UK - Higher

CHANGES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING TO 2005: THE CASE OF POSTGRADUATE HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UK

Based on a detailed statistical analysis, paper identifies the following trends
in UK higher education:

increasing student numbers;

expansion of taught courses in business and administrative studies, in computer
science and in subjects allied to medicine;

decline in physical sciences and engineering research;

expansion in international student recruitment;

increasing numbers of female and part-time students;

increase in postgraduate activity in the post-1992 universities.

Paper goes on to assess possible changes over the next five years including:

further expansion of student numbers;

impact of competitive market forces;

development of web-based learning;

changes in the structure and content of postgraduate qualifications in
the UK.

THE COSTS OF WIDENING PARTICIPATION: CONTRADICTIONS IN NEW LABOUR'S STUDENT FUNDING POLICIES

C Callender

Social Policy and Society, vol. 1, 2002, p.83-94

In order to finance the expansion of higher education, the Labour government introduced tuition fees and replaced student maintenance grants with loans. Article argues that these reforms were inconsistent with the Labour government's commitment to widening access and fairness in educational opportunities, and its desire for higher education to contribute to greater social cohesion.

THE EFFECTS OF TERM-TIME EMPLOYMENT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

C Watts

Education and Training, vol. 44, 2002, p.67-75

Article reports on a study which aimed to examine to what extent students' academic performance is affected by their part-time term-time employment and to explore individual perceptions of the phenomenon using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Findings are discussed in terms of issues for students, issues for academic staff, issues for employers and issues for institutions.

HIGHER FEES WON'T SOLVE UNIVERSITY FUNDING WOES

T Wilson

Independent. Education Supplement, June 13th 2002, p.3

Argues that tuition fees and the abolition of maintenance grants are deterring working class students from applying to go to university.

SOCIAL MOBILITY DECLINES DESPITE EDUCATION GAINS

N Timmins

Financial Times, June 17th 2002, p.2

Social mobility has fallen in the UK over the past 40 years and a key cause, paradoxically, has been the rise of higher education, according to a study by the London School of Economics. The finding that children of the less well-off have a reduced chance of climbing the social ladder than those of the previous generation comes despite the widely held belief that education benefits young people of all backgrounds. The study suggests it does so - but the children of better-off parents still gain more than the children of the less well-off, producing a fall in social mobility.

STUDENT FEES NEED TO RISE, SAYS BLAIR ADVISER

S Cassidy

Independent, May 28th 2002, p.6

One Sir Richard Sykes, former chair of Glaxo Smithkline, has argued that Britain should adopt a US-style system of elite universities, at which students pay higher fees and staff receive competitive salaries.

SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN ONLINE, OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING

O Simpson

London: Kogan Page, 2002

This book considers the support of students both and or off campus and reflects on current concerns raised by the development of Online, Open and Distance Learning (ODL), such as tuition in different media, student retention, quality assurance, staff development and online support.

UNIVERSITY HEADS DEMAND £5bn TO RENEW CAMPUSES

G Owen

Times, June 13th 2002, p.10

A survey by Universities UK has revealed that campuses are delapidated and overcrowded. The group is now calling for an extra £10bn over three years from public funds to upgrade the infrastructure.

(See also Independent, June 13th 2002, p9)

THE UTILISATION OF NVQs IN HIGHER EDUCATION

A Morgan

Education and Training, vol. 44, 2002, p.90-98

Article discusses the penetration of NVQs into higher education, referring to a number of case studies. New universities continue to dominate the NVQ scene in higher education. The development of courses based on frameworks offered by NVQs provide a clear opportunity to support the aim of improving the "employability" of graduates by equipping them with "real work" skills.